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Group homes that care for Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities are state contractors, and it’s the Legislature that sets their Medicaid reimbursement rates. Last year, lawmakers raised caregivers’ minimum wage to $10.60 an hour from what was $8.11 hourly, but advocates say the average wage should be $15 an hour. The Legislature should revisit the reimbursement rate in the 2025 session. (7/17)

There is a serious long-standing crisis in the Chicago Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services, and it has a simple solution. The city needs to make EMS a priority once and for all, and that not only means increasing ambulances, but also creating a Bureau of EMS within CFD under its own command. Chicago’s long-neglected investment in EMS has cost the city lives and income. (Paul Vallas, 7/17)

If data represents the next gold rush for health care, a vast treasure trove of it slips away every day. The increased enthusiasm for AI has led to significant investments in novel solutions for health care, with data coming from a variety of sources such as medical charts, imaging, literature, guidelines, and the like. A largely untapped source of valuable data is staring health care practitioners like myself right in the face: monitors that track vital signs. (Julio La Torre, 7/18)

Thousands of people volunteer for clinical research trials in the United States every year. They put their bodies on the line, often seeking benefits from experimental treatments because existing care is ineffective. For most clinical trials, independent institutional review boards (IRBs) are legally required to review the protocol before enrollment can begin. (Spencer Phillips Hey and Michael S. Wilkes, 7/18)